


Books Do Not Snore

by Ange_de_la_Mort



Category: Nier Gestalt | Nier Replicant | Nier (Video Games)
Genre: Found Family, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:02:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28488000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ange_de_la_Mort/pseuds/Ange_de_la_Mort
Summary: When, the night before the wedding, Weiss keeps being his unbearable self again, it takes Nier a bit of pestering to find out what exactly troubles the book's equally brilliant and stupid mind.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 8





	Books Do Not Snore

**Author's Note:**

> For the [Nier: Ten Years of Tears zine](https://twitter.com/nie_zine). I've been a fan of Nier: Gestalt for a while, and I'm very glad about finally having had a reason and the opportunity to write a fic for this underrated game.

“Are you  _ certain _ you want to attend a wedding like this? Should we not go out and acquire some better kind of gown for you to wear? A rag maybe? I seem to remember a salesman selling potatoes out there in the city. If you ask him nicely, he might even give you one of the empty sacks.”

“One more word, Weiss, and I will rip your pages out one by one! So  _ shut _ it if you don’t wanna go to the wedding naked, understood?”

But Weiss keeps saying a lot more words. All of them dripping with venom, all of them scathing. And Kainé keeps yelling at him. So much, in fact, that Nier is not only getting tired of their fighting, but also worried about her. Even though years might have passed without them seeing each other, he still remembers the way her left eyelid twitches in anger, the way her fingers curl around an invisible weapon. He knows her short temper and her foul mouth.

What he doesn’t know, however, is the fleeting look of  _ hurt _ darting across her face, one that almost reminds him of Yonah, of when she was nothing more than a small child, full of insecurities and fears - but only almost. After all, surely Kainé, strong, loud-mouthed Kainé, would not be  _ scared _ or getting  _ insecure _ because of a few dumb words thrown at her, not when she herself spouts almost nothing but insults all day, right? … right?

So while Emil just sighs and shakes his head, because the two are always like that and will probably never change, Nier observes them more closely. And indeed, there is once again something vulnerable in Kainé's facial features, which she normally keeps so well under control. Right now, she reminds Nier of the wolves they met outside the city - wounded and yet prepared to jump to injure an opponent one last time, even if it might prove to be fatal for herself.

As Nier neither wants to watch Kainé grow more and more uncomfortable, nor wait for her to jump at Weiss as threatened and tear him to pieces, he hastily reaches out and clutches his hand around Weiss' spine. "I've had  _ enough _ ," he says, "of both of you." Slowly he shakes his head and raises his voice a little to drown out Weiss, who is already complaining loudly about the rough treatment. "We have all had a long day, I get that we are all a little jumpy today, but don't forget that we are the King's  _ guests _ and should behave that way."

For a moment there is silence between all of them, even Emil appears somewhat gloomy, and finally Weiss grumbles: "Fine. You are right. My apologies, Kainé, I should have kept my mouth closed on a day like this."

Her lips twitch in what might soon become a full-blown smile, and if Nier isn't mistaken, Kainé shoots him a thankful glance. "Apology accepted, you annoying thing. Now get lost and let me sleep!"

So they do that exactly. While Kainé and Emil disappear into their rooms, Nier climbs the stairs to his own quarters. For a moment, nothing is to be heard except the sandstorm in the faraway distance and the quiet howling of a single wolf way outside the city gates. Then Weiss murmurs softly: "Still, we ought to achieve a less ugly dress for her before dawn."

"Shut up, Weiss!"

Thankfully, he does.

Nier won't let him go until he closes the door behind them. Then he sits on the bed and shakes his head, staring at him. "What is wrong with you today?"

An exasperated huff escapes from somewhere inside the book. "Nothing! I was merely making suggestions."

"You were being awful on purpose. Way worse than your usual nagging." Nier raises his eyebrows. "I'm asking you one more time, Weiss, what is  _ wrong _ with you today?"

The book goes unusually quiet for a while, and if Nier didn't know any better, he'd say that Weiss is drooping his shoulders. Or in his case, his covers. Finally, when he almost stops expecting an answer: "Apparently ... I think ... " Again Weiss sighs deeply. "Maybe I need to get used to her being back."

Nier narrows his eyes in suspicion. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Well, you have to admit it was a little more  _ quiet _ when only you and me and the boy were journeying.”

“Don’t tell me you’re angry that she’s back?”

All of a sudden Weiss is right in front of him, floating up and down in anger. “ _ Of course not _ , you idiot! Of course I am  _ glad _ she is all right!  _ Of course _ I am!”

“Then what-”

“My problem doesn’t lie with  _ her _ , Nier. It lies with  _ you _ .”

Nier blinks in confusion, once, twice. Then he says slowly: “... all right, you’ll have to explain that one to me.”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

Aha. Of course. “Sure. But if you don’t, I’ll annoy you all night and tomorrow at the wedding, both of us will be tired, grumpy and useless.” He forces himself to smile and flicks his fingers against the cover of the book. “Even more grumpy and useless than you usually are, I mean.”

“You really are the pinnacle of humour, Nier.”

“Thanks, I’ve been working hard on it.” Eventually he turns serious again and tilts his head to one side, watching him extensively. “Now come on. Tell me.”

Again, Weiss remains silent for a few moments before he begins to speak gradually, almost as if he is only thinking about what he actually wants to say while formulating one word after another. “Back then, all those years ago, when we fought Grimoire Noir, he ...” He trails off, a disappointed and tired sound emerging from within the book. “I hate to admit it, but I am not certain what he did to me. I think it felt like he looked into the very deepest parts of my being.”

“So, what happened? Did he unlock some secret memories of yours?”

“I wish.” Weiss laughs briefly and without any trace of humor. “I truly cannot say, but ever since then I have been wondering … has it always been like this? Have  _ I _ always been like this? What happened before I was sealed and put to sleep?”

"Why have you never talked to me?" he asks quietly and with worry in his voice. They have been sharing so many things with each other, have been talking about so many thoughts - mostly about Nier's troubles and concerns, yes, but it's not fair that Weiss has been carrying all these strange questions around on his own. Not fair to all of them. After all, the plan has always been that they would all stick together. Protecting and helping each other.

“Because these thoughts are stupid. I am Grimoire Weiss - what else should I be?” the book boasts and then hums thoughtfully before resuming to talk. “Nevertheless, though, I have enjoyed those years of travelling with you and Emil. I think I … I almost felt at home. Whatever home might be in my case. And now that she is back … ”

“You’re jealous of her.” He says it with no judgment, yet the book flinches, as if threatened to be thrown into an oven.

“I’m  _ not _ .”

“You think she’s stealing your spot in this jumbled mess of a party.”

“Well, you will to admit that your focus has shifted back onto her a lot.”

“So you  _ are _ jealous.”

“I … ”

“That’s a yes.”

Weiss' voice is hesitant, uncommonly insecure. “That is, at most, a maybe.”

Nier laughs softly. “The great Grimoire Weiss is jealous of being left out of family bonding time. Huh. If it weren’t that sad, it would almost be funny.” Weiss snarls in anger, trying to float away, but once more Nier reaches out to grab him. Only this time, he tightens his grip around him, pulling him close to his chest.

“... what, what are you doing? Unhand me at once!” The book’s pages flutter in an attempt to get away, his voice high-pitched in confusion.

Nier doesn’t let go of him. “Shut up, Weiss. Come here.”

“What … ”

“That’s a hug, you idiot.”

“It’s … ”

“It feels good, right?”

Silence. Then: “...  _ maybe _ .”

“That’s a yes.” For a moment, Nier stays just like that, then he kicks his shoes off his feet and lets himself fall backwards on his back, Weiss still in his arms. "Hey, Weiss?" he starts, and when he doesn't get an answer, he simply continues: "It's all right to feel lonely sometimes. I'd felt ... very lonely after my wife died. But I still had Yonah. And you still have us. Do you get that?" He taps his knuckle on the spine of the book and grins. “Kainé would say ‘Does that fit into that thick head of yours?’ … and she’d be right. You can really be an idiot sometimes.”

“Just like the rest of you,” Weiss says quietly.

“Yes. Just like the rest of us. But that’s the nice thing about a  _ family _ , Weiss. We all still stick together even if we annoy the hell out of each other sometimes.”

“That … sounds nice.”

“It sure does. That’s what family is for. And you’re part of ours, you stupid book.” He looks up at the ceiling and yawns softly, his eyelids getting heavy. Nevertheless, he is not done yet, still has something to say, in the hopes that Weiss, with his absolutely brilliant mind, is for once not an absolute idiot. “... no matter what happens, you’ll be part of this. And next time you feel lonely, you can come sleep close to me again.”

The book chuckles quietly. “... like Emil sometimes does?”

“Yes. Just like Emil. And now go to sleep, we need to be presentable in the morning. Don’t want to sleep through the whole ceremony, right? The King would be sad.”

“... Nier?”

“Mhh?” he mumbles, already almost asleep.

“Thank you. For being family.”

“Go to sleep, Weiss.”


End file.
